Crusade
by Renaerys
Summary: In a world where knights are lost and only princesses are left take up their swords, Kairi embarks on a journey to save a boy she cannot remember. SoKai.
1. Opening Moves

Crusade, Chapter 1 - Opening Moves  
Rating: T  
Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts.  
World: Canon world but I'm extrapolating enough to merit some warning that things will get very slightly AU. Takes place in large part during 358/2 and the first week of KH2. I'm messing with time frames just a bit, so things won't line up _exactly_ as in canon.

Important notes: This is a Kairi-centric fic with SoKai in later chapters. There will be plenty of other KH characters along the way. I always thought Kairi was really interesting as a Princess of Heart _and _a keyblade wielder, and I was a little disappointed that the latter was never much expanded upon in canon. So I'm going to do it. Lots of action scenes and strong female characters who are not solely defined by their love interests. Some very minor references to FFXIII, but you don't have to be familiar with the game to fully enjoy and understand this. Also, as much as I love the original game conceptions, I think the whole Heartless/Nobody ordeal is meant to be a lot more brutal and horrifying than Square/Disney made it seem. Enjoy!

* * *

"_We travel, some of us forever,  
To seek other states,  
Other lives,  
Other souls."_

* * *

_He needs you._

_Wake up._

_Remember your promise!_

Kairi woke in a cold sweat, the nightmare still burning her skin as she breathed deeply to calm her nerves. Was it truly just a dream? It felt so real...

Her cat _meow_ed and rubbed against her. Sighing, Kairi sat up in bed and rubbed her eyes. It was Saturday on the Destiny Islands, a day off from school with nothing to do. But Kairi felt restless somehow, like there was something she was forgetting to do. For the life of her, she could not remember what.

"I'm so spacey these days," she said aloud, smiling.

Thinking little of it, she got up and dressed for the day. She was supposed to meet Selphie to go shopping later. On her way to town, a strange wind blew against her, causing her skirt to flutter and her long hair to whip against her face. The sky was clear and blue, the sun bright. And Kairi suddenly, without reason, had the urge to go to the islet where she'd played as a child. She and Riku had spent their days there looking for seashells and talking of the future. He'd always been ambitious, wanting more than they had and never satisfied with what they could achieve. In a way, she wished she were more like him.

How she missed him.

"I can't go today, Selphie," Kairi said, smiling a little. "There's just somewhere I need to be."

"Kairi...are you okay?"

Kairi smiled at her best friend, somehow not feeling it. "Fine, I just...I need to be somewhere."

"Okay, as long as nothing's wrong," Selphie said.

_Nothing's wrong._

As she entered the Secret Place on the islet of her childhood, this was what Kairi told herself. The damp rock walls made her shiver. It was chilly despite the warm, summer weather. Upon the walls, drawings danced in still life. They were carved in chalk, embedded into the rock forever. She traced them with a hand, unsure what they meant or who of her friends had inscribed them. Eventually, she came upon a carving of two people exchanging what looked like Paopu fruits. They were smiling, and Kairi traced their smiles with gentle fingers.

_Me_, she thought, unbidden.

She had no idea why her face would be imprinted upon the ancient walls of this secret hideaway, but there it was. That was her, smiling and accepting the fruit from another. As she ran her fingers over the carving, she felt sad. Who was he?

A burst of wind drew her attention, and she turned around. A door, not there when she'd first arrived, had materialized. Odd—she'd never seen a door here before...

_That's not true._

Somewhere in her memory she could picture a door, bright and terrifying. It was a gateway to all her hopes and fears, but she couldn't remember going through it. Something wasn't right, and she felt sick to her stomach.

"_Don't be afraid."_

"Who's there?" Kairi said, echoing the voice in her head.

"_Open the door. You can do it."_

Kairi stared at the door, wondering. It was so familiar, like she'd been here before. Approaching it, she touched a hand to the cool, wooden surface. Light, warm and bright, bloomed under her touch. Blinding. Kairi cried out, unable to keep her eyes focused under the sheer brightness. Her body felt weightless, floating, like she was dreaming.

And then there was nothing.

* * *

"...time to wake up, Kairi."

Kairi turned in her sleep, willing herself to awaken. Fluorescent lights blinded her from above and her body ached all over.

"Oh, there you are," a feminine voice said.

Kairi squinted to see through the light and tried to sit up. "What...where am I?"

Slowly, the world began to adjust around her. There were no shadows, only stark white nothingness.

"Who are you?" Kairi asked, focusing on the figure looming over her.

The figure smiled softly. "I'm Naminé," she said, lending Kairi a hand to stand.

Kairi let her pull her up. "What is this place?"

Naminé's smile faltered. "This...is a place in-between. We're neither here nor there."

Kairi studied the girl. Naminé shared her height. Her blonde hair fell about her in wisps, pretty, as though there were an invisible wind following her. But her eyes bespoke a sadness that weighed her down.

"You're here because you're needed," Naminé went on, shaking her former discomfort.

"Needed for what? And how do you know..."

_My name?_

There were fortune tellers on the Islands, people who claimed to have the foresight of gods. Kairi had sometimes visited them, enjoying the opportunity for someone else to tell her future than to have to wait and see what it held for herself. But with Naminé, she felt like even the words of fortune were unnecessary. There was something so nostalgic, so very familiar about her that words seemed almost offensive.

"There's a lot I know about you, and you about me," Naminé said, eyes downcast. "But...in any case, we don't have much time. I need your help."

Kairi wasn't sure what was happening, but she suspected it had to do with the turmoil Riku had been caught up in recently with Kingdom Hearts. She'd been waiting for him to return for so long.

A splitting pain pierced her head, and she raised a hand to apply pressure to her temples. This had been happening a lot recently.

"They're painful, aren't they? The memories," Naminé said. "They say the more it hurts, the better it heals."

"What do you mean?" Kairi said, gritting her teeth.

Naminé showed Kairi her back. "Just that you won't be like this forever. What goes up must come down. He'll come back to you, too."

"Riku?"

Naminé laughed lightly, but it wasn't happy. "I've really made such a mess of things, haven't I?"

"Naminé..."

"I know this is all strange for you," Naminé continued, turning to face Kairi once more. "But you'll understand soon enough. There's something I need you to do. If you want to help the ones you love, then you must do it."

"What?" Kairi said, clenching her fists. She remembered a journey, a dark quest to restore peace and harmony in which Riku had been lost to her. And something else...

"There's a part of your memory that's missing," Naminé said. "The part that makes your heart beat. Without it, you're just breathing for the sake of breathing."

"Does this have to do with the Heartless?"

"Yes and no. You see, I'm...trying to help someone. He's lost so much, and I have to give it all back to him. But I don't have enough power. If we don't do something soon, his heart will return to darkness again."

"But what can I do? And why does it have to be me?"

Naminé smiled. "I need your power. You're one of the pure ones, a Princess of Heart. You saved him from darkness once, but to do it again we'll need something more permanent. Only then will the powers of darkness yield."

"I don't understand," Kairi said, taking a step toward Naminé. "Who is 'he'?"

"Someone very dear to you, but you don't yet know it. I need the power of everlasting light to ensure his heart will never collapse again. Otherwise, his memories will overpower and destroy him. Will you help me?"

Kairi didn't know what to say. Here was a girl, unknown, telling her to put her life on the line for a boy she didn't know. Why? Who was he, and why did he need her?

A loud pounding sound suddenly reverberated throughout the white room, causing both Kairi and Naminé to lose their balance. Kairi fell on one knee and covered her ears with her hands to shut out the ringing in her head.

"What was that?"

Naminé took Kairi's shoulders, her eyes misted with fear. "You have to leave, now! They're coming!"

"Who's coming?" Kairi struggled to stand.

"Listen, only you can help me save him. Look in your heart, and you'll find the strength to fight." Naminé touched her hand to the place above Kairi's heart, and a light bloomed beneath her fingertips.

The pounding grew louder, and Kairi felt herself growing weaker. "Oh..."

"They're nearly here!" Naminé said, pulling away. She waved her hand and summoned a dark vortex. "Go now!"

Kairi stumbled toward the darkness, her skin growing cold as black tendrils curled around her. "But what about you?"

Naminé smiled sadly. "I'm still needed. They can't hurt me."

Kairi reached a hand out to the other girl, her fear mirroring Naminé's. Neither of them believed that lie.

"Find Merlin. He'll know what to do," Naminé said, reaching for Kairi.

Shadows danced from her fingertips, and just when it looked like she would reach Kairi, the black light propelled Kairi backwards into oblivion.

"Naminé!"

But she was gone.

* * *

"_Now who's the lazy bum, huh Kairi? You can't sleep at a time like this."_

Kairi groaned, her body aching all over. It took some effort to prop herself up into a sitting position against the stone column behind her.

"I'm not sleeping," she said.

Looking around, she saw no one.

_That's weird. I know I heard someone..._

Rubbing her eyes, she pulled herself up and took in her surroundings. Instead of sand underfoot, there was cobblestone. Gone was the gentle sound of waves, replaced with the mechanical clicking and turning of gears. Towers of metal and stone loomed above, connected by floating platforms that seemed to hover like magic. She knew this place.

"Hollow Bastion... But how?"

_Naminé. _

Naminé must have sent her here through a dark portal like she'd seen the Heartless use. But Kairi felt fine; she could still detect the beat of her heart. The journey hadn't affected her. Dusting herself off and taking a deep breath, she walked to the entrance of the alley in which she'd landed onto a broad street. Shops lined the sides, their lights bright and welcoming, but there wasn't a soul around.

Kairi made her way down the street, trying to remember the lay of the land. Things looked very different from when she'd lived here as a child, and she didn't know quite where she was going. Something caught her eye, but when she turned to look, there was nothing among the stone columns and street shops. Only shadows.

_Shadows..._

They danced just out of her line of sight. Left, right, everywhere at once. They shifted and grew into menacing shapes, humanoid but not human. She was surrounded.

"Heartless," Kairi said, turning around and looking for an escape. There was none. "What do I do?"

The Shadows cooed and clicked, teetering on awkward feet as they approached. The nearest one let its mouth hang open as it caught her scene. Drool dripped to the ground through rows of tiny, razor-sharp teeth. There was no one to help, no one to save her. She was alone.

"_Look in your heart, and you'll find the strength to fight!"_

Kairi backed away from the approaching Heartless, a hand over her heart as she searched around for something she could use to defend herself. A weapon...

_I need a weapon!_

White energy burst forth from her chest and swirled around her in bright beams, a cyclone of light and warmth. Movement escaped her as the energy consumed her, and for one terrifying moment she could not breathe. Just when she thought she might fall, the light dissipated and she could feel the sturdy stone beneath her feet again.

And in her hand, the unfamiliar weight of a keyblade.

"Huh?"

The blade shone with a golden hue, its crown of flowers shimmering under the light of the sun. It was familiar, like a dream from which she'd only just awoken. The Shadows drew nearer, and one shrieked and lunged itself bodily at her, sharp teeth bared and gnashing. Kairi gritted her teeth and swung her keyblade in defense. Its flowering crown struck the Heartless, cleaving it in half.

The sound of tempered steel slicing flesh was hair-raising. The Shadow's black hide ripped under the force of her blade, giving way to muscle and bone. The crown of her keyblade was stuck fast, embedded among crushed bone matter and sticky ligaments. The smell of rotting flesh assaulted her like a tangible force, making her eyes water. It was as if the Heartless were decomposing at high speed beneath her fingertips.

Kairi stared, wide-eyed, as what she'd done. The remains of the Shadow writhed on the ground, bleeding black as it sank through invisible holes in the earth. A small light flashed for one fleeting moment, and with its departure the Heartless fell still. All that remained was a smoking pile of jagged bones and sticky blood already congealing. But there was no time to dwell. More Shadows flung themselves at her, and she was forced to defend.

The movements did not come naturally to her unpracticed limbs. But the keyblade seemed to compel her, as though driven with the strength of another. A guiding hand. One by one, the Heartless fell under her blade in writhing heaps of putrid flesh and bone. Kairi panted, her grip on the keyblade still firm as she looked around for others waiting to jump out at her.

"I think they're gone, Miss!"

Kairi looked up and saw a young boy peering at her from over a high balcony. His owlish looks made him appear more confused than she. With a shaking hand, she wiped the sweat from her brow and bangs, not really believing the boy's words.

"Who are you?"

"Me? Oh, I uh, haha!" He waved his arms about, as though this would help anyone. "Just wait there. I'll be, uh, right down! We'll go see Merlin."

"You know Merlin?" Kairi said, taking a step toward him. "I'm looking for him."

The boy made his way down to the ground level, and it was then that Kairi noticed his odd attire. He wore baggy, shapeless clothing decorated with an embroidered cross. She was pretty sure he was even skinnier than she was under all those layers.

"Come on, we should go before more show up. Uh, this way!" He grabbed her free hand and began to drag her along.

"Hey, wait! Who are you?"

The blond boy turned to catch a glimpse of her over his shoulder and smiled nervously. "I'm Arthur. Come on!"

* * *

"You have to help me. I came all this way, and I'm not leaving until she's okay."

"Oh, my dear, please calm down. I understand that you're upset, but _violence _is not the answer."

"You haven't seen me get violent, old man. Now can you do anything, or are the rumors just that?"

When Kairi and Arthur arrived at Merlin's hole in the wall, this was how they found him: with a sword pointed at his throat.

"M-Merlin!" Arthur sputtered.

Merlin and the woman restraining him turned at the sound of Arthur's voice. Kairi looked between Merlin and his guest, unsure what to make of this situation.

"Oh! Kairi, you're just in time!" Merlin said, stumbling backwards.

The woman cornering him growled and turned on Kairi and Arthur. "Who are you?"

"Uh, I live here?" Arthur said.

"It's all right," Merlin said, reaching out behind him to feel for the stone wall to regain his balance. "She means well."

"Hey, what's this?" Arthur reached out to touch what appeared to be large crystalline structure resting against the wall opposite the fireplace.

"No!" the unknown woman said, smacking Arthur's hand away with enough force to knock him down.

"Hey!" Kairi said, running to help Arthur stand and turning to glare at the woman. "What's your problem? You can't just treat people like that."

"Oh, good heavens," Merlin said, shaking his head.

Kairi and the woman faced off, neither willing to back down. Kairi had never been confrontational (that was Riku's _m.o._), but she wasn't about to stand by while a friend suffered mistreatment. Arthur had helped her, and she could tell his heart was good. He didn't deserve this kind of abuse.

The young woman looked like she wanted to retort, but she just scowled and showed Kairi her back. "Whatever."

Kairi frowned. What was the matter with this person? She took a moment to look her over, puzzled by the woman's strange appearance. She wore a red cape and her sword, sheathed once more, hung from chains behind her thighs. Her armor was modest, but it gleamed under the sunlight filtering through the windows. And her hair was the most uncanny shade of pink Kairi had ever seen—like bubble gum.

But there was clearly nothing bubbly about her.

The woman reached a hand out to touch the crystalline structure as Arthur had attempted to do before, and it was then that Kairi saw what it concealed. A young girl slept inside, entombed in the shimmering crystal. Dead to the world.

"If you can't help her, then I've wasted my time here," the woman said.

There was something very sad about the scene, although Kairi didn't even know this woman or the girl in the crystal tomb. When the woman lowered her hand, the faintest traces of light remained in her imprint, and Kairi gasped.

"A keyhole," she said, drawing closer.

"Hm? Oh, yes, it appears so," Merlin said.

"Keyhole?" the woman said, looking between the two of them. "What are you talking about?"

Taking advantage of the distraction, Kairi traced the outlines of the keyhole imprinted upon the crystal with her fingertips. Its glow grew stronger under her touch, and soon the shape was plain for all to see.

"That...wasn't there before," Arthur said, confused.

"She's locked away," Merlin said. "The poor thing."

Now, the woman's anger was returning. "What are you all talking about? What do you know that you're not telling me?" She put a hand on the hilt of her sword.

"It's her heart," Kairi said, still marveling over the crystal tomb. "She's locked herself away using the power of her heart."

_What could have possibly happened to make her choose such a terrible fate?_

A hand on Kairi's shoulder forced her to turn and meet the unnamed woman's troubled gaze. "If you know what's wrong with her, then do something." She turned back to Merlin. "I was told I'd find powerful magic here that doesn't exist in my world. So fix her."

Kairi thought little of the woman's manhandling, more entranced by this keyhole. As though answering her thoughts, the keyblade appeared in her hand. The woman took a step forward to put herself between Kairi and the tomb.

"It's okay. I think this might help," Kairi said, indicating the keyblade. "A key opens doors. Maybe it can help her."

The woman appeared skeptical, but Kairi stood her ground, patient.

"...Fine."

Kairi pointed the keyblade at the glowing lock. The light outlining the keyhole grew brighter, and the keyblade began to hum. Her heart rate sped up in anticipation.

Except, nothing happened.

"So...how long do we have to wait?" Arthur asked.

Kairi shook the keyblade, confused. She was sure it would work.

"Figures. This was a mistake. I never should have come here," the woman said.

"No, wait!" Kairi said, reaching for her wrist without thinking. "Please, I know I can help you. It's just..."

"You don't have enough power," Merlin said, approaching them. "It should work, but you can't get something for nothing, you know! Whatever magic sealed that girl's heart away was powerful. You'll need an equal power to counteract it."

"What do I have to do?" the woman demanded. "I can't just leave Serah like this."

Merlin bent over and peered at Kairi's keyblade, his tired eyes reflecting the dancing pinks and purples of the blade's flower crown. "Well, I suppose you'll have to give the keyblade more strength. Actually, Kairi, I'm glad you're here. I was worried Naminé had encountered some trouble when you were taking so long."

Kairi remembered Merlin from her previous escapades in Traverse Town. He'd been a kind friend as she waited to return to the Destiny Islands. Eccentric and a bit loopy, but kind. Perhaps now she could get some answers.

"So, this isn't a dream," Kairi said. "Naminé really sent me here."

"Quite right. And you've got a very important task to accomplish." He turned to the unnamed woman and smiled, making his long, snowy beard twitch. "As do you, my dear."

Merlin proceeded to explain how and why Kairi had come to be here. Just as Naminé had said, there was a force tampering with everyone's memories and threatening the heart of a boy at the center of it. He couldn't say who this boy was or how he was connected to Kairi, only that he existed. It was the strangest thing, trying to remember a person she'd never known. Merlin was having the same difficulty.

"All should reveal itself once the task is complete," Merlin went on. "To restore a heart fallen to darkness, you have to bring it back into the light, permanently. And that requires the light of hearts too pure to house darkness in any form."

"The Princesses of Heart," Kairi said, understanding. She touched a hand to her own heart.

"Precisely." Merlin peered at her over his thick spectacles. "And now you see why you must be the one to embark on this journey, yes? Only a Princess of Heart can contain the power of pure light and not go blind."

"Blind?" Arthur said, nervous.

Merlin chuckled. "Yes, boy. Too much of a good thing is a bad thing, you know. Darkness is no more 'bad' as light is 'good' in the wrong hands. Too much light and even the sharpest eyes lose their focus. No telling what horrors you might stumble upon running around blind."

Kairi studied her keyblade, wondering about that. Too much light...could hurt?

"Anyway, enough of my rubbish. When you collect the Princesses' light, you'll have the strength to obliterate true darkness. Only then can you restore a fragmented heart."

"This is all very touching," the woman said, having remained silent as Merlin prattled on. "But it's got nothing to do with me. I don't care about some sleeping kid who lost his memories. I'm here for Serah."

Merlin cleared his throat. "Yes, well, that's precisely the goal. To restore a heart fragmented by darkness..." Merlin waved a hand and shafts of light suddenly shot forth from the crystal tomb, illuminating cracks in the shimmering stone. "You must bind it with the purest light."

Kairi held her keyblade in both hands, wondering. "So...when I get the other Princesses' power, I'll be able to help Serah."

"Precisely."

Kairi looked up to find the woman staring at her. There was pain in those eyes, a sadness that had chased her all the way here from whatever world she'd come. No, not sadness.

_Guilt._

"I'll do everything I can to help Serah," Kairi said with conviction. "I give you my word."

The woman was taken aback by this sudden declaration, and it was the first non-threatening reaction Kairi had seen out of her. It made her smile.

"You... All right. I'll hold you to your promise, though."

It was a warning, but it only made Kairi smile more. "I always keep my promises."

The woman turned to look at Serah, frozen in her crystal coffin. It was then that Kairi noticed Serah was smiling in her slumber. _Odd._

"I'm sure you do. But all the same, I'd like to make sure." She turned to meet Kairi's gaze once more, steely and immovable. "So I'll be going with you to collect this light."

"Oh, splendid! I was hoping you'd say that," Merlin said, rummaging through his bag on the nearby kitchen table. "Splendid, splendid. Now, if only I could find my spells! I know I put them in here somewhere..."

Kairi laughed lightly. The old wizard was just as batty as she remembered. Remembering herself, Kairi dismissed her keyblade and held a hand out to the woman who'd be her new partner—hopefully for the better.

"I'm Kairi, by the way. I guess we'll be working together for awhile, so...I hope we can get along."

The woman eyed Kairi's offered hand and radiant smile with suspicious blue eyes, but after a moment's hesitation she accepted the gesture of goodwill. Her grip was sturdy, confident, but not painful.

"Call me Lightning."

* * *

"Heartless, Nobodies, Fal'Cie... As far as I'm concerned, they're all asking for the pointy end of my sword."

Lightning rested a hand on the hilt of her sword as though ready to cut down anyone who dared challenge her. Arthur had not been able to stop staring at her since she'd calmed down enough merely to look intimidating instead of lashing out.

Kairi sighed. Arthur was in a little over his head, in her opinion. But it was of little consequence. Having rested and heard Merlin's information about the kinds of enemies they would encounter, Kairi and Lightning were nearly ready to depart Hollow Bastion. Kairi would be lying if she said she wasn't scared; after everything she'd seen in the past and her most recent confrontation with the Heartless, it was clear that her life was on the line. All for a boy she couldn't even remember.

"Now then, you'll need to visit the other six Princesses in order to obtain the power to free Serah and help your friend, ehm, whoever he may be," Merlin explained. "Naminé will be working to restore his memories in the meantime, so together you should be able to save him."

"Naminé's really doing a lot," Kairi said. "He must be important to her."

Merlin studied Kairi, his look pensive. "...Well, in any case, let me explain how you'll be getting around. You arrived here via a corridor of darkness, if you recall."

"That's right."

"But you see, you're a being of pure light, so you have no sway over darkness. You'll have to find alternate transportation. Come here, please."

Kairi rose from her chair and joined Merlin in the center of the room near a giant computer with several monitors.

"Just as darkness connects all worlds, so, too, does light. It's along those paths of light that you'll be able to move between worlds. Even the Heartless cannot follow you there."

"So, how do we access these light superhighways, old man?" Lightning asked, standing and crossing her arms.

"Oh, yes, I'm glad you asked that! Allow me to demonstrate."

It took some practice and several failed attempts, but Kairi soon got the hang of the spell to open a gateway. A vortex of shining light undulated where before there was only thin air. It was almost too bright.

"Ah, one more thing. Don't dally in there. Like I mentioned before, stare into the heart of light for too long and you'll lose your ability to distinguish anything at all."

Silence befell the room as that thought sank in. Kairi had seen what true darkness did to a person when Riku was overtaken by Ansem. Could light be just as unforgiving?

"Go on, time is wasting!" Merlin said. "Find the princesses and borrow their power. Everything depends on it."

Kairi turned to Lightning, who was gazing at Serah with an unreadable expression. She was about to reach out and touch Serah's crystal coffin, but refrained at the last moment.

"I'll save you, Serah," Lightning said. "Just wait a little longer."

"Come now, I'm not getting any younger over here!" Merlin said, waving.

Lighting let her gaze linger on Serah for another lasting moment, then joined Kairi. "All right, kid. Let's make this fast."

The unlikely duo approached the swirling gateway to light, and Kairi took a deep breath. Finally, she was going to do something to help the ones she loved. And who knew? Maybe she'd run into Riku on the way. She surely hoped so. The last time they'd seen each other he was drowning in darkness, only able to resist at the horror of nearly killing her.

"Ready?" Lightning asked, looking down at her.

Kairi blinked, the memories of that terrible scene fading. "Oh, yeah, sorry."

They stepped forward together into the light, and Kairi brought a hand up to shield her eyes.

"Oh, one last thing," Merlin said. "Kairi's heart is an anomaly, an imbalance of nature. The darkness will flock to her fiercely. Take care to watch your backs, both of you. I trust you'll need each other more than you know."

"We will, Merlin," Kairi said as the light enveloped Lighting and herself. "Thank you!"

Lighting said nothing as the brightness consumed them and everything faded into oblivion.

* * *

_I'll update soon since this was a bit short. Thanks for reading!_


	2. Through the Looking Glass

Crusade, Chapter 2 - Through the Looking Glass  
Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts.

"_And in a wonderland they lie, dreaming as the days go by.  
And if he left off dreaming about you, where do you suppose you'd be?"_

* * *

When they landed, Kairi and Lightning stumbled out of the corridor of light on ungainly legs, like they'd just set foot on land after a long journey at sea. Kairi rubbed her eyes and looked around. A broad expanse of lush meadow grass stretched before them. In the distance she could make out a forest, as well as a stream cutting through the meadow and disappearing within the thick trees. The sun was high in the sky, and flowers smiled up at her in reds, pinks, purples, and yellows. But something was off.

"Okay, what am I looking at?" Lightning said, having picked up on the oddity, too.

Dark patches of shadow peppered the landscape, perhaps several acres deep. It wouldn't have been so jarring if not for the walls of darkness that barred them on all sides—walls of night. Kairi could even make out stars and moonlight within them. It was like night and day existed in discrete form and fashion simultaneously, all laid out in grid form.

"It looks...like a giant chessboard," Kairi said, incredulous.

"I thought you said you'd been here before."

Without responding, Kairi stepped toward the nearest expanse of night and reached out a hand. It passed through with little resistance, and she stepped forward. It was like someone had flipped a switch. Where before it was high noon in a peaceful meadow with birds chirping and the sun shining on her skin, in here the chill of night made her shiver a little. Moonflowers bloomed pearlescent and bright under the pale light of the stars, and crickets sang a symphony of untuned music to their own beat. Like night and day, literally.

Lightning had followed her through the barrier into the dark square, silent as she awaited an explanation but no less confounded than Kairi.

"I thought so, too," Kairi said. "But I don't remember Wonderland looking like this. Maybe we took a wrong turn?"

Lightning picked a moonflower and twirled it in her fingers, blue eyes narrowed. "I don't think so. This was the only way to go. That princess has to be here."

"Alice," Kairi said. "Yeah, I think she is. We just have to find her now."

Movement caught Kairi's eye, but there was nothing there.

"Oh no," Kairi said, summoning her keyblade.

"What is it?"

No sooner had Lightning spoken than a small horde of Heartless stepped out of the shadows. They looked like Shadows, but they were much taller, taller than the average human, even. Sinister, yellow eyes slitted and found Kairi and Lightning. One of them roared, baring razor-sharp teeth and a salivating, purple tongue. The others followed suit, and Kairi felt the first chills of fear run up her spine. Lightning drew her sword and crouched, ready for battle.

"Kid, I'm assuming you know how to fend for yourself?"

Kairi looked left and right, counting the Heartless and holding out her keyblade. "Well, I took out a few Heartless before I met you."

Lightning scowled. "Great."

Before they could continue their conversation, the Heartless lunged and swiped at them with too-long claws and a bone-chilling battle cry. Lightning swung her sword and slashed through the nearest enemy. The sound of squelching innards made Kairi a little sick, but Lightning didn't even flinch. Even dripping with black blood, Kairi could just make out sparkling veins in Lightning's sword, as if it crackled with a light all its own.

"Don't just stand there!" Lightning said, advancing on the next Heartless.

Kairi swallowed and tried to ignore the rancid smell of rotting flesh as the now dead Heartless decomposed at her feet. This was no time to be squeamish. Gathering her composure, Kairi gripped her keyblade and prepared for battle. Just in time, too. Another Heartless warrior jumped toward her and clawed at her chest, hoping to rip out her heart and harvest it to create more Heartless. Kairi was not about to let it.

With a grunt of effort, she parried the Heartless' attack with her keyblade and found herself locked in a battle of strength with a creature of darkness. It was strong, far stronger than she, and her elbows shook with the effort to keep it from knocking her over. But then, something strange happened. Smoke began to rise from the Heartless' claws where it gripped the keyblade, faint at first but gradually becoming thick and potent. It made Kairi's eyes water.

The Heartless screeched and Kairi bit her tongue, drawing blood. As though burned, the Heartless pulled away and stumbled. Kairi stared, shocked at the unexpected leniency. The Heartless' claws were melting, the flesh falling off to reveal sinewy muscles and bone before dissolving into shadows. Veins of light tore at its appendages where it had grasped the keyblade. The keyblade itself glimmered with light where the Heartless had touched it. Kairi felt like she might throw up, but another Heartless lunged for her. Gasping, she tried to meet it with her keyblade, but she was too slow.

Just when Kairi thought she might end up with a chunk of herself lopped off by the incoming Heartless, a bolt of lightning slammed into the Heartless and drove it into the ground. It convulsed with the effects of the electroshock, its dark hide cracking and releasing steam as though it were dehydrating at high speed. Black blood spilled from its jaundiced eyes and gaping maw as the life slowly left it.

Wide-eyed and disgusted, Kairi turned to the source of her savior. Lightning met her gaze briefly, her sword still sparking in the aftermath of the attack. But there was no time for thank-yous or further questioning; more Heartless rushed to fill their fallen comrades' places, and Kairi was forced to resume the trial all over again. Nothing about slicing through thick flesh to the brittle bones beneath came easily. This was a kind of murder, she thought, to take the life of another living thing. They glowed bright under the keyblade's strikes, like the light that leaves a person's eyes when they die. Kairi wasn't sure when she'd begun to cry as she hacked her way through the few enemies that escaped Lightning and found her, but by the time help arrived she felt sticky and hot despite the nighttime chill.

"Watch out!"

Out of nowhere, a white blur slammed into a Heartless that was about to attack Kairi. The Heartless roared, and Kairi shielded herself with the keyblade. Upon closer inspection she could make out a tall man atop a white horse cutting at the Heartless with the broadest sword Kairi had ever seen. His armor was pure white and gleaming, nearly blinding when contrasted with the Heartless's black blood splatter.

"Kairi! Over here!"

A feminine voice drew Kairi's attention. Alice, clad entirely in white, was waving to her from one of the daylight squares.

"Alice!"

"Quickly! My Pieces will handle the rest of the Heartless!"

Kairi nodded and searched for Lightning, who was busy facing three Heartless at once. Still, the older woman did not look fazed by the odds.

"Lightning!" she called.

Lightning scowled at a charging Heartless and met its attack with her sword, propelling it backwards. Another man draped in fortified white armor with a castle insignia emblazoned upon his chest spun toward the Heartless as Lightning retreated. The Heartless screamed at the girls' retreat, but Alice's white guards kept them at bay. Crossing back into the realm of daylight, Kairi panted from the earlier exertion and adrenaline. Thankfully, the smell of decay and rot did not follow them here. Alice waited near a shimmering portal.

"Through here!" she called, beckoning the two women.

Kairi followed suit, Lightning hot on her tail, and jumped through the portal. Alice followed them.

When she emerged on the other side, Kairi found herself in a wide room with a long fireplace that stretched the length of an entire wall. A lavish dining table sat in the middle of the room, its white table cloth bright against the dark stone walls. Candelabras glowed in wall sconces, bathing the room in a soft, warm light. More white-clad people populated the room, some standing guard at the large double doors that marked the only exit, while others stood against the wall silent and stiff.

When Alice emerged, followed by a few more white guards, the portal closed. "Goodness, are you all right?"

Lightning was looking around, blue eyes narrowed in suspicion. She had yet to sheath her sword, and Kairi didn't really blame her. This was all very strange.

"Yeah, I think so," Kairi said, lowering her keyblade. "Alice...what's going on? What is this place?"

"That's 'Your Majesty' to you, peasant!"

A small child in a stiff, white dress ran between Alice and Kairi, her face wrinkled in distaste. Kairi blinked, surprised that a four-foot-tall little girl could project such audacity. Alice put a hand on her shoulder and smiled.

"It's all right, Pawn. Kairi is a princess, and she's a friend."

"A-A princess?" Pawn said, covering her mouth with her tiny hands. "Oh! Oh, I'm so sorry! Please forgive me, Your Majesty."

Kairi wanted to laugh at the absurdity of the situation, but she refrained. "It's all right, um, Pawn." returning her attention to Alice she said, "So, this is different."

"I'll say," Lightning said. "So this is Alice? Let's get what we came for and get out of here, Kairi."

Lightning attempted to join Alice and Kairi, but two white guards halted her advance with deadly halberds. Lightning brandished her sword at them, clearly not happy about the interference, but Alice raised a hand.

"Please, they are my guests. Treat them with respect. They mean me no harm."

"But Your Majesty, this one is hostile," one of the white guards protested.

Alice shook her head. "Any friend of Kairi's is welcome. Now, if you please."

The guards were not happy about it, but they lowered their weapons and let Lightning pass. Still, Lightning did not sheathe her sword.

"...Your Majesty?" Lightning said. "I knew we were looking for princesses, but that seems like a bit much."

"Alice, I think you better explain. This isn't the Wonderland I remember," Kairi said.

Alice nodded. "Of course. Please, have a seat. You must be famished. We'll discuss it over dinner, and you can rest here without worrying about the Heartless."

Once refreshed and fed, Kairi and Lightning found themselves at the dining table with Alice and a man who'd introduced himself as Bishop, though he had not said much more. Alice explained that this was not Wonderland as it used to be, but Looking Glass, a mirror image of Wonderland turned on its head.

"And I thought Wonderland was a little bit turned on its head as it was," Kairi said.

"Yes, I know. Everything is even more in chaos than it was before," Alice said, sipping her tea.

"And you're some kind of queen?" Lightning asked. "Who died?"

Kairi shoved Lightning under the table.

"What? You don't become a queen until the last one dies."

Alice set down her tea. "Yes, that's true. I didn't plan it, really. Things just have a way of going topsy turvy in this world, whether you like it or not."

"I can see that."

"To be brief, I'm called the White Queen here, and the white guards you see are my Pieces. They defend me, like so."

She gestured to the chessboard that sat on the table between its four occupants. One side housed the white pieces, and the other was lined with red pieces.

Kairi tapped the white queen piece with a finger. "So, let me guess: the daylight squares are your realm."

"That's correct," Alice said, moving a few white pieces forward on the light squares.

Lightning plucked a red pawn from the opposite side of the board and twirled it between her fingers. "So if you're on Team White, who's the enemy?"

"That would be the Red Queen," Bishop said, speaking for the first time since he'd introduced himself earlier. "And I assure you, she is not to be trifled with."

Lightning seemed unperturbed. "Right."

"Ever since I returned from Hollow Bastion, things haven't been quite right. I didn't notice it at first, but after a time I realized everything seemed a bit backwards. What was up was down, and what was down was up," Alice said. "Soon, I discovered that this wasn't Wonderland, but a parallel world turned on its head."

"Looking Glass," Kairi said, studying the chessboard. "And...you're playing a game against this Red Queen?"

"Precisely. But the loser doesn't just shuffle her chips and move on."

"Losing means your life," Lightning said, setting the red pawn back in its place. "So you win, or you die."

"...Yes," Alice said, uncomfortable.

"Who's this Red Queen? What does she want?" Kairi asked.

"She wants me gone," Alice said, barely audible. "And I simply don't know why! I've never done anything to her, and yet she showed up one day demanding my head. Oh dear."

"Sounds like the Queen of Hearts."

Alice shook her head. "No, she's far worse. She's ruthless, and she delights in the pain of others. She and I are like night and day. I cannot understand her."

Silence fell as Kairi and Lightning thought on this.

"Well anyway, we don't have time to stick around here," Lightning said, standing. "Kairi, get her power and let's keep moving."

"How dare you speak to Her Majesty in such a manner!" Bishop said, also standing.

Faster than the eye could see, Lightning drew her sword and pointed it at Bishop's throat. Alice gasped.

"I'm kind of in a hurry. You'll forgive my manners, I'm sure," Lightning said, expression stony and cold.

Kairi rose and put a hand on Lightning's wrist, bidding her lower her weapon. "Please, stop this. They aren't our enemy."

"Perhaps if you explained what it is you're seeking, I can better assist you," Alice offered.

Lightning thought about this for a moment, and eventually lowered her blade. She reclaimed her seat and crossed her arms. "Fine, but I'm done wasting time. Serah's counting on me."

Kairi's gaze lingered on her partner, troubled. She wanted to help, but it seemed like there was a wall she would have to scale just to get through to Lightning. It would not be an easy journey. Everyone reclaimed their seats, and Kairi began to explain her quest to Alice and Bishop. Once finished, Alice shook her head.

"I'd like to help you, but I don't know if I have the power you seek. You see, there's something I didn't mention before."

"What is it?"

"Remember how I told you this world is a mirror image of Wonderland? Well, it isn't just the world itself that's been uprooted."

She retrieved the red queen piece from its spot on the chessboard with delicate fingers and handed it to Kairi. Kairi accepted the tiny piece, puzzled.

"When Maleficent gathered all the Princesses of Heart in Hollow Bastion to open the Door to Darkness, she sealed our hearts into a keyblade. Her plan—Ansem's plan—was to use that keyblade to unlock the door. Your heart was the last one needed. But in separating our hearts from our bodies, something terrible happened. Do you know anything about Nobodies?"

Kairi nodded. "Merlin explained them to us. They're what's left over when a heart leaves its vessel."

"Yes, that's right. You and I are Princesses of Heart. There's no darkness in our hearts, so when our hearts left our bodies, we didn't turn into Heartless. But we do have a body and soul, and that body and soul transformed into a Nobody."

"Wait, so...there's another you running around here?"

"Not just another me," Alice said, tapping the red queen piece piece in Kairi's hands. "Another princess. Except just like everything else in this world, she is the opposite of me in every way."

"The Red Queen is your Nobody," Kairi said, astonished. "And she's fighting you? But she's a part of you, isn't she?"

Alice nodded. "Yes, and that's why I'm having so much trouble. My guards want to destroy her, but I'm not so sure that's a good idea. If she is me and I am her, what would happen to one if the other is destroyed?"

"What's the point of all this?" Lightning asked.

"The point is that she is half of me, and so holds half of my power. Without her, I'm not whole. And I can't help you."

Kairi stared at the red queen piece, troubled. "Have you tried talking to her? Maybe she doesn't realize how important she is to you."

"I have," Alice said, sighing. "She won't hear reason. I suppose I should expect little else in this world. Perhaps I should have learned my lesson by now. Everyone's mad here."

"Then we'll make her listen," Lightning said. "If she's all that's missing for us to get what we came for, then I'll bring her here myself."

"Lightning," Kairi said, worried.

The pink-haired woman glared at Kairi. "Life isn't fair, Kairi. Sometimes to get what you want, you have to spill a little blood. That's just the way it is. The sooner you accept that, the sooner you'll be able to save your friend."

Kairi was taken aback by Lightning's blunt candor, and words eluded her. The anger was there, though. To look upon life so callously, like it was nothing but disposable flesh and blood rather than love and friendship and everything else that bound people together seemed deplorable to her.

"I think that's exactly what has to happen," Alice said. "I'm not happy about it, but until Caelix and I are reunited, I can't give you the power you need. And that's simply unacceptable."

"Caelix?"

"The Red Queen. That's her name," Bishop said, dark eyes narrowed at Lightning. "The nerve of her choosing a name when she's not even a real being. Nobodies don't have hearts. They're just dreaming."

"So...may I enlist your help in apprehending Caelix?" Alice asked.

"Consider it done...Your Majesty," Lightning said, rising to leave.

Kairi stood up, too. "Yeah, we'll help out. It sounds like your world won't be okay until Caelix is taken care of, anyway."

Alice took Kairi's hands in hers, smiling. "We'll have all of my White Army at our backs, so you won't be doing this unaided. I only wish I could be more helpful myself."

Kairi shook her head. "No, this is plenty. Thanks, Alice."

Kairi turned to retire to the room Alice had set aside for her earlier, ready to get some sleep before the battle that awaited her tomorrow, but Alice's voice stopped her.

"You know, I admire you, Kairi. If I could take up arms to fight for what I believe in, I think I would be a much better person than I am. You're lucky."

Kairi's eyes fell. How could she believe in a person she couldn't even remember? And was she ready to give her life for him if need be? But she kept those thoughts to herself.

"...Yeah. Good night, Alice."

Kairi left before more words could be exchanged.

* * *

Footsteps echoed upon hand-carved stone drawn up with runes in loops and languages dead to the world. The ceiling was almost too high for the naked eye to see, and at the edge of the walkway stretched a white abyss, endless and bright. He walked ever forward. The terrors of the light had never bothered him, nor had those of the darkness; they held no sway over Nothing.

"You look pleased. Something catch your eye?"

Saïx approached in near silence, sharp eyes narrowing at the undulating pool into which his colleague was looking.

"Oh yes," Luxord said, smiling a little. "Although it's a bit early to tell."

Curious, though he would never admit it to the gambler, Saïx peered into the trough's silvery waters for a better look. "Huh. How did she get off that island?"

Luxord chuckled. "You know, Saïx, I should think you'd be the last of us to fall prey to appearances. They _are _deceiving, after all."

Saïx ignored the slight, but only because it was true. He appeared delicate, almost feminine, compared to other members of Organization XIII, but he was second in command. "That doesn't answer my question."

"Apparently, Naminé had something to do with it."

"I knew that girl was trouble when we found her. If not for her powers, I'd have killed her myself when I had the chance."

"Temper, temper. She's no longer our problem, anyway." Luxord reached into a hidden pocket and withdrew a pair of dice, which he proceeded to turn over in one hand. "Anyway, this game's only just begun. No sense in throwing all your cards in so soon."

Saïx ignored that and continued to watch the scene in the water. "I can only assume this means our plot to corrupt the Princesses' Nobodies has been discovered."

"You're so pessimistic. This is a challenge, not a defeat."

Luxord waved a hand over the trough, willing the scene to change. Within its silvery depths, Kairi and Lightning were preparing to set out from Alice's castle along with the White Army, looking steady and calm.

Luxord bared his teeth in a grin. "After all, a game needs players."

* * *

Kairi let her eyes drift from the checkered landscape, beyond which lay the Red Queen, to the White Army Alice had provided as backup. No matter how Kairi looked at it, she was marching off to war. There would be Heartless and other enemies, and many would die. It seemed like only yesterday she was safe on the Destiny Islands, ignorant of all the wrong in the worlds. She wasn't sure if that was good or bad.

"We're all ready to depart, I think," Alice said. "Are you set to leave?"

Kairi nodded. "I suppose so."

"We'll win. We must. After all, you have to help your friend, right?"

Kairi didn't have an answer for her, but Alice didn't seem to mind as she rummaged about her pocket for something.

"Here, I want you to have this," she said, handing Kairi a small green jewel. It was shaped like a teardrop.

"What's this?" Kairi took the gem and held it up to the sunlight.

"It's a healing spell. I've already mastered it, so I thought you could make some use of it."

"Magic? But I've never used magic before."

Alice smiled. "Why not start now? Maybe it will come in handy where we're going."

Kairi pocketed the gem, hoping things wouldn't come to that. "Thanks, Alice."

"Your Majesty, will you see the King before we depart?" Bishop asked, approaching the two princesses.

Kairi quirked an eyebrow. "King?"

Alice blushed madly. "Y-Yes, very good, Bishop. I'll be over in just a moment."

Bishop bowed and left the girls in peace. Kairi smirked and pointed a finger at Alice.

"So, looks like you didn't just gain a Nobody after the adventure in Hollow Bastion."

Alice stared at her toes, now beet red with embarrassment. Kairi laughed.

"I'm sorry, I'm just happy for you. It must be nice to have someone so dear to you in your life."

Alice met her eyes, expression unreadable. "But you should know. He's very special to you, isn't he?"

Kairi frowned. "...Who are you talking about?"

Alice blinked and averted her eyes, suddenly confused. "Hm? Ah, what was I saying?"

"Your Majesty, the king is waiting," Bishop called.

"Oh! Yes, I'll be right there." Alice smiled and excused herself before Kairi could get another word in.

"You nervous, kid?"

Lightning walked up beside Kairi and looked over the army below them, expression grim.

"Should I be?"

"You don't know much about hand-to-hand combat. I would be, in your shoes."

Kairi pressed her lips together. Not many things discouraged her, but the fact of her own physical limitations was one of them. How could she help anyone if she couldn't fight up to par?

"Maybe you should just stay here," Lightning went on. "I'll bring that Red Queen back with her head on a pike. Easy, no complications."

Kairi stepped in front of Lightning, her earlier discomfort replaced by anger. "Hey, first of all, no one's killing anyone. Caelix is a part of Alice, so killing her isn't an option. And secondly, we're in this together. We're partners."

Lightning was normally neutral and apathetic, but right now it appeared Kairi had said something to set her off.

"You and I are _not _partners. I'm just here to make sure you live long enough to bring Serah back, that's it. Like I said, you'd be better off staying here than rushing off into battle. There might not be anyone around to save you like last time."

Kairi was so taken aback that words escaped her. By the time she'd collected herself, Lightning had already left to join the White Army as it prepared to march. Frozen in place, Kairi's hands shook with emotion. How could Lightning say such a thing? This was her quest, her burden to bear. _She'd _been the one to offer to help Serah in the first place.

"Pieces, prepare to march!" Alice called to her army.

Kairi watched as the army began to shuffle forward, slowly but surely, numb. Lightning wasn't wrong, and there was little Kairi could do to change that. Always the delicate damsel, even her bloodline was against her agency. It wasn't that she didn't want to fight, but her very nature, her _entire life_, had named her the prize to be won instead of the warrior fighting to win it.

Why would anyone trust a princess to do a knight's job?

She shook her head. These thoughts would do no one any good. Unsteady and questioning Merlin's decision to send her on this journey, Kairi joined the White Army's ranks and set out to search for the Red Queen.

* * *

They marched for days before they found any signs of the Red Army. By then, Heartless had picked off a number of the White Army's outriders. Kairi remembered the monstrous Heartless she'd seen in the past, nightmares given life, but now that she was fighting them herself they seemed all the more terrifying. With skin darker than the blackest night and a warped appearance that marked them as unnatural and inhuman, she still found it difficult to think of them as mindless monsters when their bones crunched and their blood spurted just as she imagined a living person's would under the wicked force of her keyblade.

Alice marched with them, bent on meeting her other half and bringing her to justice. Kairi wondered what it must be like to know that a part of her was living somewhere in the world, wreaking havoc. Nobodies sounded far worse than the Heartless, especially if they could think and plot and mobilize others to do their bidding.

Lightning had not spoken to her almost the entire trip. Even in the heat of battle she would defend Kairi but never so much as look at her. It was beginning to wear on Kairi's nerves to know that Lightning thought so little of her. There was a tragic emptiness in Lightning's eyes, in the way she moved and spoke, that made Kairi feel cold, like nothing was allowed to be warm and bright in Lightning's presence.

It reminded her a little of Riku.

Kairi's childhood friend had always been independent and confident in his own power. Riku was strong, so it was to be expected. But somewhere along the way, that confidence had turned to arrogance. Blinded by the need for more power to accomplish his goals, Riku had delved into darkness, and the darkness in turn had consumed him from the inside out. Kairi wasn't sure what had befallen her dear friend after seeing him overpowered by Ansem's darkness, but she believed he was alive. He had to be. Darkness or no, Riku's heart was one of the strongest around; he wouldn't give up or die so easily. It was just a matter of time before she finally found him again.

Lightning was lost, just as Riku had been lost. But Kairi didn't know enough about her new companion to understand why. At this rate, it seemed unlikely that she ever would. But she had to try. If not for the sake of her mission, then because she wanted to understand for her own benefit. Lightning was strong, but even the strongest fire cannot burn forever in a cold void all alone.

Today, on the third day of marching, the group found what they were looking for.

"I thought I smelled vermin."

A young woman watched the White Army from atop a cliff half in darkness and half in light. She was clad entirely in red, and her wild black black hair gave her a discomfitting look. But there was no mistaking it: those blue eyes were Alice's.

"Caelix," Alice said from atop a white horse. "I've come to end this. It's not right for us to fight when we're one and the same. Please, stop this."

Caelix threw her head back and howled with laughter. "You pitiful creature! As if you could _ever _group us together! I'm not a simpering fool like you, Alice. Unlike you, I had to work for my throne."

Nearby, Lightning unsheathed her sword. Kairi summoned her keyblade, too. The Red Army was nowhere in sight, however.

"I don't want to use violence to settle this," Alice said. "But I cannot let you continue to terrorize this world. It's just wrong!"

Caelix stopped laughing abruptly as a dark aura settled around her. Kairi bit the inside of her cheek. She had a bad feeling about this.

"Then perhaps I'll terrorize you instead. Pieces!"

Surrounded on all sides by dark squares, Kairi watched as menacing red chess pieces emerged from the shadows alongside numerous Heartless and unfamiliar white creatures with elongated appendages. The white creatures' mouths stretched wide across their inflated heads, the insides lined with row after row of sharp teeth. Worst of all, they appeared to have no eyes.

_Dusks_, Kairi thought instinctively. Merlin had warned them about this type of humanoid Nobody. They didn't look like Heartless, but they gave her a similar feeling. No, it was _worse_.

"Caelix!" Alice cried, worriedly looking around at the force of enemies surrounding her army.

Caelix bared her teeth in a smile that sent chills up Kairi's spine. "I'll make you a deal, _other me_. If you can get past my army, then I'll give you a free pass to storm my castle. Of course, that's assuming you won't be torn to pieces and get your heart ripped out!"

"Your Majesty, please stay back," said a White Knight, his horse herding Alice's to safety.

"Hide all you want, but my Pieces will find you. And then, I'll feed your heart to the Nobodies!" Caelix said. "Red Army, attack!"

The battle was fierce and bloody. Right away, Kairi noticed that there were far fewer red pieces than white; most of the Red Queen's forces were made up of Heartless and Dusks. Even if Alice's army won this battle, it would be at a disadvantage facing the full might of the Red Army later. It was a dirty strategy on the Red Queen's part, but there was nothing that could be done now.

_Squelch!_

Kairi spun just in time to avoid a flying black appendage with too-long nails hurtling through the air toward her. The Heartless' arm landed in the churned earth at her feet, leaking black blood and still twitching. Kairi shuddered, but this was not the time to be squeamish. Returning her attention to the battle at hand, she ran at the nearest enemy and aimed her keyblade.

The Red Pawn had not been expecting her, and taking the child out proved to be uncomplicated. He hit his head against a rock protruding from the ground, his red helmet cracking. He did not get up, and Kairi forced herself to look away. She hoped he was merely unconscious.

Nearby, Lightning was plowing through Heartless as though they cut like butter. Their dying screams were blood-curdling. Kairi wondered how she could mow them down without consequence, like she couldn't even hear their wails. It was like Lightning was more machine than human, or some kind of empty shell. Right now, Kairi wished she could channel some of that cold power.

"Help me!"

The distress call drew Kairi's attention, and she saw one of Alice's White Knights pinned to the ground under three Dusks, their curling arms coiled about him like snakes. Kairi moved to help, but what she saw next petrified her to the core. One of the Dusks ripped apart the knight's gleaming armor, exposing pale flesh underneath. Then, it threw its head back in a roar before sinking jagged teeth into the bared flesh.

The knight screamed, and Kairi watched as blood squirted from the entry wound in rhythmic spurts: _shloop...shloop...shloop._

The Dusk convulsed and thrashed its inflated head back and forth, finally pulling back. In its jaws was a mass of dripping red, and if Kairi looked closely enough, she could see it beating faintly.

_A heart_.

This fear was like none she had ever experienced. Watching the Dusk chew up the White Knight's heart, his blood bright against the ashen white of its maw, was too much. She wanted to curl up, throw up, anything to shake this terrible nightmare.

"_Move!"_

Trance-like, Kairi felt her body pull her spirit along, faster and faster, closer to the three Dusks drowning in their prey's blood. She raised her keyblade and swung with all her might. The beautiful crown of flowers smashed into the feasting Dusk's large head, splitting taught flesh and bone until reaching the soft brain matter hidden in the center. It was dead before it (or Kairi) knew what hit it.

The other two Nobodies clicked and hissed at Kairi and their fallen comrade as she leveraged her keyblade with a foot to pry it loose. Black blood and lumpy brain bits clung to the crown, smoking and burning away before her eyes. The Dusk she'd killed began to decompose almost instantly, its flesh melting off its strange skeleton and releasing a few orbs of light—one for each heart it had eaten. It took Kairi a moment to realize she was crying. Her tears mingled with speckles of the Dusk's blood on her face and her own sweat.

There were still two Dusks left, and she wasn't about to let them do to her what they'd done to Alice's White Knight. If it was them or her, she would have to fight to the death. They uncurled their arms from the knight's mutilated corpse and slithered toward her. Kairi readied her keyblade and jumped to meet them head on, tears falling on the wind behind her.

* * *

Lightning's throat stung with each labored breath. These _things _just kept coming, like they could not feel pain or fear at all. Members of the White Army fell all around her, one by one, ten by ten. These Heartless were small fries compared to the fal'Cie threat to her world, but they were no pushovers, either. The white ones, Nobodies, were even more gruesome. She'd seen a couple of them feasting on a White Rook's heart. Disgusted, she fried them with a thunder spell and some well-timed swordwork.

All the while Lightning searched for the Red Queen, who was nowhere to be found. A part of her told her she should have been looking out for Kairi, who could not defend herself properly, but Serah's memory drove Lightning's blade ever forward. It was nothing personal, but Lightning wasn't here to play retainer to a little princess.

Night never descended upon the light squares, but the hours dragged by and the bodies piled up. The White Army had the clear advantage of numbers, but even so their numbers suffered from the ambush. Lightning stepped over rotting corpses and bleeding red pieces, unflinching as she searched for Kairi.

She found the girl staring down at a croaking Nobody, its flesh steadily melting over its thin bones. The keyblade hung limp in Kairi's hand, which was drenched in black blood to the elbow.

Lightning had never been squeamish or particularly empathetic (perhaps to her detriment), but the sight of Kairi watching this monster die slowly and painfully, her expression hollow, sent a chill up Lightning's spine.

"It was human once, you know," Kairi said, not bothering to look at Lightning.

The Dusk lifted one of its tapered arms and reached for the pair. Blood and muscle dripped from the appendage until only the smoking bones remained. It clicked and croaked, perhaps damning them or vowing revenge. Kairi just stood there, unmoving.

Lightning couldn't take it anymore. Without a word, she took aim and jammed the end of her sword through the Dusk's skull. It convulsed briefly, then fell still. Kairi didn't flinch.

"But it isn't anymore."

Lightning retrieved her sword and spared the younger girl a glance askance. She'd seen that look before. War had a way of killing those who partook of it, even if they didn't end up dead. Kairi bore a little blood splatter, a sign of sloppy kills. Her keyblade was steaming, like she'd dunked it in boiling water only moments ago. Bits of flesh clung to it, also smoking and dissolving before Lightning's eyes. She wondered how many monsters the little princess had slain and found herself feeling a little guilty, though she couldn't say why.

"No, it's not," Lightning said, wiping her blade on the grass and sheathing it. "None of those things are. They don't deserve mercy, not yours and not mine."

Kairi watched her with a heavy stare, unreadable and ancient. "What about Caelix? Do you think she deserves mercy?"

She knew what Kairi meant, and it was annoying. Sure, Caelix seemed human enough, not like the Dusks they'd slaughtered. But it made no difference. "She's the same as these things. Her mask's just prettier. You shouldn't let it fool you, kid."

"Kairi! Lightning!"

Alice's voice ended their conversation, and Lightning was a little grateful for it. Kairi wasn't herself right now, and that was uncomfortable. Alice had abandoned her horse and she looked a bit frazzled, but otherwise she was unharmed. A Rook accompanied her.

"Alice," Kairi greeted. Whatever thoughts had been plaguing her before seemed to disappear at the sight of her friend. "I'm glad you're all right."

Alice nodded. "Yes, though I can't say the same for some of the others."

"I'm so sorry."

"It's war," Lightning said. "People die."

Kairi and Alice turned their attention to Lightning, and she was half expecting to be lectured about her insensitivity.

"...Yes, that's right," Alice said. "I knew this coming here, and my army knew it, too. More will die in the coming days."

"We'll get her," Kairi said softly. "I promise you, we will. None of this will be in vain."

"I know," Alice said. "I know."

They made camp away from the internecine in order to rest before the final push to the Red Queen's castle. A third of the White Army had been lost to Caelix's forces, and those remaining spoke in hushed tones and mourned their fallen countrymen. Lightning paid them no mind as she took a seat next to Kairi. The sun had not moved, frozen in eternal day. Still, Alice's army stayed clear of the night squares; it was more difficult to see in darkness to keep watch.

"You're right, you know," Kairi said, hugging her knees. She'd had a chance to clean up a little once the fighting had died down.

"About what?"

"I'm not really a fighter. Not like you, at least."

Lightning grunted in response. There was nothing to say to that indisputable fact.

"Where did you learn to fight like you do?"

Kairi seemed genuinely curious, but Lightning hesitated.

"...The military. I've been fighting most of my life."

Bright blue eyes spared her a glance. "...I'm sorry."

"For what?"

Kairi shook her head. "For dragging you into even more fighting."

"Fighting itself isn't bad. It's what you fight for that makes a difference."

"You're fighting for Serah."

Lightning shifted and brought her sword across her lap. Kairi smiled a little.

"She must be very special to you."

"She's my little sister. Of course she's special."

Kairi was silent for a moment, and Lightning began to clean her sword. Black taint washed away to reveal gleaming steel underneath.

"I wonder what he's dreaming about, the boy I'm fighting for."

"You don't know?"

"I don't even know his name. Isn't that silly? I'm sure if he knew, he'd be so angry with me." Kairi laughed a little.

"Why would you fight for someone you can't even remember?" It came out sounding harsher than Lightning intended, and Kairi's smile fell a little.

"...Just because I can't remember him doesn't mean he can't remember me."

Kairi was a strange one. She had this energy about her, an aura that never extinguished no matter what came at her. Even when Lightning found her hunched over that dying Dusk and Kairi had been lost, there was still something there, something that tethered her down. Unlike most people, her unfamiliarity was not her fear; they were distinct, Lightning realized. Kairi wasn't afraid, she simply wasn't used to this. There was no fixing what wasn't broken.

"What if he's not dreaming about you?"

"Then I guess I'd cease to exist," Kairi said, eyes distant. "But...here I am."

_Such faith._

Lightning couldn't think of anything to say to that. Nothing she could say would make a difference, anyway.

"_But at the end of the day, the lie isn't what matters; it's what you do after you tell it."_

Lightning blinked the memory away. "...I'll take watch. Get some rest, kid."

Kairi nodded. "Thanks, Lightning."

The little princess rose and shuffled about the camp, settling into sleep within minutes. Lightning watched her for a bit, cracking her knuckles. Soon, she decided her sword wasn't quite clean enough, and she began to rub it furiously with polish. Anything to get out the invisible blood stains.

* * *

Kairi veered to the left to avoid a swooping lance that would have cleaved her head in two. Caelix's forces were concentrated around the perimeter of the Red Palace, and Heartless and Nobodies bolstered their ranks. Cutting through them was taking everything Alice's White Army had.

Lightning fought close by, closer than she'd been in the last skirmish, but Kairi paid it no mind. Lightning, she'd quickly discovered, was the type to disclose information only when she was ready. There was no reasoning with her, generally. For now, Kairi appreciated the extra eyes watching her back as she hacked her way through Heartless and Nobodies to the perimeter wall.

Black liquid ran under her feet from murder holes in the wall's break. Kairi barely had time to put two and two together before a firm hand on her elbow yanked her backwards. That was when the fire broke out, incinerating the black oil and anyone unfortunate enough to be within its reach. Red and White Pieces, as well as various Heartless and Nobodies alike, went up in flames. Kairi's screams could not save them.

"Pay attention," Lightning hissed. "You can't just go in there and die, you know."

Kairi wrenched her arm free. "So what, then? She's murdering our allies down there!"

Lightning fixed her with an icy glare. "So deal with it and move on."

"And what if I can't?"

From their new post on a grassy knoll several hundred meters from the fighting, Kairi and Lightning were in no immediate danger. And that was just the problem. Kairi was no fighter, but she was also no coward. This was her fight, and she'd be damned if others died in vain for a cause that wasn't theirs. It wasn't right. Why couldn't Lightning understand that?

Just as Lightning was about to respond, the space before them began to warp. Dark tendrils twisted among the light of day, vibrating and expanding. Kairi took a step back, recognizing the dark corridor from when Naminé had transported her. Somehow, she didn't think Naminé was here now to pay her a visit.

A blond man emerged from the shadows, his icy blue eyes penetrating the shadows with a light of their own. He dusted himself off, as though the journey had been particularly harrowing. Lightning pointed her sword at him and held out a hand to shield Kairi.

"Who the hell are you?" she demanded.

The blond visitor chuckled. "And you call yourself a lady."

Lightning lunged and rested her sword at the man's throat. "I said no such thing."

The man grinned, but it only sent chills up Kairi's spine. He was dressed all in black, and his aura felt cold and dark. This man, whoever he was, was not an ally, of that Kairi was certain.

"Who are you?" she asked, lowering Lightning's arm and stepping forward, her keyblade at the ready.

"Ah, Princess, I _would _bow to you, but I'm a bit preoccupied, as you can see."

Lightning hesitated, and Kairi peered at her.

"You didn't answer our question," Lightning said, refusing to lower her weapon. "And while you're at it, where did you come from?"

The man put a hand on Lightning's sword and forced her to lower it, gently. The blade cut his hand, and blood trickled down the edge of the blade to the hilt. "So many questions! Keep running your mouths and you'll drown out what's really important."

Kairi watched the blood drip from his hand, entranced. He waved his uninjured hand before him and five cards appeared, floating. The backs shimmered like fish scales in the sun. Kairi reached for them, but stopped herself.

"Go ahead, Princess. Pick a card, any card."

"Kairi," Lightning warned.

"Pick, or I'll pick for you."

Not wanting to play games, Kairi chose the middle card and put an end to the shenanigan. It was blank. "There's nothing on this."

"Not anymore, now that you've chosen."

Kairi glared at him. "Who are you, really?"

The man grinned. "I go by Luxord. But I daresay you ought to be more concerned with your comrades than with me."

A screeching sound resounded from the Red Palace, and Lightning hissed, squinting to try to get a better look.

"What have you done?" Kairi demanded.

"So many questions. I wonder, how long do you think you can play this game when you don't even remember what you're fighting for?"

Luxord bared his teeth in a smirk that made Kairi want to put as much distance between them as she could.

"How do you...?"

"Tsk tsk tsk. What will he think when he realizes all his dreaming was just that? You're cruel, just that like little witch."

Another roar came from the Red Palace, and Alice's White Army was already scrambling in the ensuing mayhem to regroup. Something was very wrong.

"Beware the Jabberwocky, my princess, the jaws that bite, the claws that snatch," Luxord said, retreating to his dark corridor.

"Wait!" Kairi said, reaching for Luxord with her keyblade.

The dark portal closed before she could reach him, his grin fading into darkness. Kairi stared at the card he'd left behind. It was still blank, and nothing about it seemed amiss.

"Kairi, whatever's going on sounds bad. Come on," Lightning said, already heading toward the palace.

Kairi pocketed the card, deciding there would be time later to puzzle over it. Luxord's cryptic words sung songs in her head, all a-spinny, as she bounded after her teammate.

_The jaws that bite, the claws that snatch._

* * *

Kairi remembered the stories her grandmother had told her as a child about princes and thieves, monsters and mortals. Light and dark. Dragons.

"Down!"

Kairi barely had time to heed Lightning's warning before a giant scythed claw cleaved the cobblestone where Kairi had been standing just seconds ago. Above, Caelix's laughter felt like pins and needles upon Kairi's skin, a chill that had nothing to do with perpetual night surrounding the Red Palace.

"Stupid humans! You can't _really _expect to survive the Jabberwocky! He's no ordinary beast; he's your nightmares come to life, and you're just scared little children to him!"

The Red Queen sat atop the Jabberwocky's elongated neck, commanding its movements as her wild black hair flowed behind her like electric currents. The beast's scales glistened in the starlight like swords melted down and given new form. It was almost cartoonish with its too-long neck and wide nostrils, but there was nothing funny about it.

The Jabberwocky roared and spit black acid. It hissed and smoked upon the Red Palace's courtyard walls, burning through thick stone and steel. Kairi fell to the ground, only her keyblade breaking her fall. The Jabberwocky reared up on its hind legs to spew more acid, taking out several White Pieces in the process. On its belly, Kairi noticed an intricate heart emblem.

"A Heartless?" she said.

Lightning skidded to a halt beside her. "That thing's a Heartless? It's huge."

"Yeah, a special one created for this world..."

"Whatever. Special or not, I'm taking this thing out. You stand back."

"Huh? Lightning, wait!"

Lightning dashed away, her sword sparkling as she prepared to unleash a thunder spell. Caelix caught sight of her and directed the Jabberwocky. The beast lashed out with giant claws to snatch Lightning before she could cast her spell, but it was too slow.

"Die," Lightning said quietly as she unleashed her magic.

Thunderbolts leaped from her sword and struck the Jabberwocky in the underbelly, illuminating its Heartless emblem. Blood seeped through its armored hide between shimmering scales. The light was hypnotizing in its destruction, but Caelix was not deterred. With an inhuman screech, she encouraged the Jabberwocky to gnash its oversized jaws at Lightning, ripping her stomach.

"No!"

Lightning's blood splattered black under night's velvet blanket, smearing the stone walls in wide smiles that seemed to laugh at them both. Dusks jumped in Kairi's path but she dodged them, concerned only with her partner. _Her partner. _Lightning gasped and toppled to the ground in a tangle of bloody limbs. Caelix's laughter rang in Kairi's ears, the only sound above the Jabberwocky's cry.

Kairi reached Lightning, who was breathing erratically and bleeding. She put her hands over Lightning's wounds, desperate. She didn't know anything about how to fix people! How could this happen? Especially to a strong warrior like Lightning...

"Kid, get out..."

"Shut _up_!" Kairi hissed.

Something in her pocket seared, almost painful, and Kairi retrieved the magic spell Alice had given her back at the White Palace. She didn't know how to make it work, but she had to try.

_Be okay, please oh please! Just be okay!_

The gem gleamed in her hands and sank into her palms, which began to glow green. Kairi didn't question it, too desperate and pressed for time. She laid her hands over Lightning's wounds and the green light snaked through the lacerations. Lightning convulsed, and the light intensified. Before her eyes, Kairi watched as Lightning's injuries sewed together as though time reversed and she hadn't been injured at all. The healing made Kairi gasp for breath, like she'd just run for miles and miles without repose. Lightning cracked her eyes open.

"S-Serah?"

Kairi put a hand on her forehead. "Serah will be okay, I promise."

White and Red Pieces crossed swords behind Kairi. Heartless and Nobodies made the battle all the more bloody, and Alice's forces were falling back. With the Jabberwocky on their side, the Red Army seemed indestructible. Destroy the monster, destroy their morale.

_The jaws that bite, the claws that snatch._

Luxord's words returned to Kairi, and they only fueled her anger. This thing was killing innocents left and right with no end in sight. Dragon-like, it felled knights and pawns alike. No more.

_No more._

What was she fighting for? For a boy she couldn't remember? A fantasy? She had no answers, but maybe she would find them if she could defeat this monster. A lost boy, dreaming of her and waiting, waiting for something, _anything_ to change his fate. Kairi knew what it was like to wait for something she couldn't even begin to understand.

_No more._

"Enough," she said. The keyblade hummed against her palm. "_Enough_!"

"Oh my, the tiny human's giving me orders now," Caelix said, her dark eyes wild. "I'm afraid I don't respond well to authority."

Kairi advanced on the fable-born beast. Its wings were too short for it to fly, though they flapped rapidly anyway. Red eyes zeroed in on her, assessing the threat. What could a princess do in a knight's armor? All Kairi had ever done was wait.

_No more._

The keyblade was heavy in her hands, but the weight was welcome. Lightning propped herself up on her elbows, but it was too little too late. Kairi was already gone, racing up stone steps to the courtyard's second floor.

"Caelix!" Kairi screamed, her keyblade above her head as she jumped off a balcony and fell toward the Jabberwocky.

Caelix was too slow. She tried to maneuver the Jabberwocky to defend in time, but there was no time. No more waiting. A burning heat from deep inside Kairi's heart burst forth and enveloped her keyblade. White light, searing and scintillating, brought her to life. This power...it was like waking up after a long slumber. Death and rebirth in an endless cycle.

Brilliant light illuminated the keyblade, then Kairi, then the entire area. Kairi had to close her eyes to shield them, blind, and she swung hard and true. Flesh ripped, bone crunched, and blood ran warm and fast over her small hands. The Jabberwocky shrieked, a death rattle as its entire head and elongated neck tumbled to the ground, severed.

Kairi hit the ground hard. Her hip and left arm broke her fall, and she cried out in pain. White-hot light dominated her vision, so much that she could not see anything at all. Somewhere, something heavy fell to the ground and caused great tremors that sent her rolling onto her uninjured side. Gritting her teeth, Kairi tried to hold back the tears despite her immense pain.

"Kairi! Hold on!"

She was in and out. The pain swept her away, and the voices brought her back. It took forever for the white lights to fade, to the point that Kairi was wishing for darkness if only to relieve this blindness. Something felt cool and soothing along her left side, like the gentle ocean waves on the Destiny Islands beaches.

"_One day, we'll leave this island. All three of us, together."_

"_It's my lucky charm. Be sure to bring it back to me."_

"_I'll come back to you, I promise!"_

_I know you will..._

She reached for the shadows that smiled for her, laughing.

"Kairi!"

Kairi coughed and heaved in a breath. Alice hovered over her, worried.

"Oh my goodness! You're okay!"

"...Just fine," Kairi wheezed, trying to sit up. "What happened?"

The moon still shone overhead, but that meant nothing. It was always night in the dark squares, so there was no telling how much time had passed. Alice smiled, tears glistening her eyes.

"You did it," she said, breathless. "You killed the Jabberwocky!"

Every cell in Kairi's body screamed for rest. What had she done to end up like this? It felt like someone had tried to break her in two and gave up right at the last minute, but the damage was done.

"Oh..." Kairi rubbed her eyes, reminding herself that this was not the time or place to pass out. "Lightning... Is she okay?"

"She's just fine," Alice reassured her.

"Caelix?"

Alice hesitated but settled for a genuine smile, albeit small. "In custody. Kairi, we _won_."

Shadow voices echoed in her head, just out of reach, but Kairi put them aside and smiled as best she could. "That's great, Alice."

* * *

Luxord watched the Jabberwocky dissolve under the glare of Kairi's light. He had to look away, lest he, too, be blinded. The threat was no more, and Alice's guards were quick to apprehend Caelix's unconscious body in the mayhem. Luxord was almost disappointed, but not because he'd lost this round.

"Foolish move, Princess," he said from the shadows. "You can't win when your best hand is aces and eights."

Luxord waved his hand and seven cards materialized. He chose the third from the left, a two-toned heart against a checkered background, and incinerated it with magic. The remaining six hovered before him, and he let his eyes rove over them slowly.

The Princesses of Heart were tethered to the Realm of Light, and yet it was all thanks to Sora that Organization XIII could harvest their Nobodies. With no memories of themselves or Sora now that Naminé was messing with his memory reconstruction, these special Nobodies had become a convenient tool to further Organization XIII's goals. Of course, part and parcel to that agenda was the idea that the Nobodies would lock down their princess counterparts to prevent them from meddling with Kingdom Hearts again. The seventh princess was directly interfering and she had no idea.

"That was a grand failure," Saïx said, emerging from a dark corridor behind his teammate.

"Not from where I'm standing," Luxord said, not bothering to spare Saïx a glance. "Although, this does give me some ideas for the others."

Saïx walked to the edge of the rampart upon which they stood and observed Alice healing Kairi. "We can't kill her, but she's causing trouble. Perhaps I'll relieve her of her sword arm, slow her down a bit."

Luxord laughed. "You're so crass. Lighten up and see what's really in front of us: Opportunity."

"I could care less. If she threatens our plans for Kingdom Hearts, I _will _remove her from the equation."

Luxord dismissed his remaining six cards. "That's your problem. You're too narrowly focused that you're missing out on what's really going on. Well, I guess you never had much of a sense of humor. We can't all be excellent company."

"I'm not here to listen to your damn riddles, Luxord."

"No, but you _are _here." Luxord grinned. "Intrigued? Would you like to know what happens next?"

"Xemnas knows what you're up to. I'm here to ensure you don't cause any trouble."

The thinly veiled threat rolled off Luxord's back. He may not have been as powerful as either Saïx or Xemnas, but he had an advantage that made him an invaluable member of the group.

"I'm a lucky guy with nothing but time."

Saïx released a sharp breath, perhaps the closest Luxord had ever heard to a laugh coming from him. "Careful, your arrogance is showing."

Luxord returned his attention to the scene unfolding below. Kairi was coming to, finally.

"You mistake me. I'm just _very _excited. It's my move now, after all."

* * *

Hours flew by. It was incredible how time could virtually disappear in the midst of chaos. The Jabberwocky Heartless was dead, its artificial corpse decomposed in the courtyard, where only its engineered skeleton remained. The card Luxord had given her now bore a caricatured painting of this monster, and she understood. He was responsible for its existence. She tore up the card soon after, resisting the urge to burn the pieces.

Kairi approached the Jabberwocky's skeleton, catching veins of light flickering among the cracks. Her light. She could hardly believe she'd done this, but she felt the effects easily enough. Lethargy, lassitude, lingering aching in her heart. She should have been pleased that she'd helped win this fight, but the throbbing in her heart only made her feel heavy. Older, somehow. There was no joy in this victory, but she couldn't quite place why.

Lightning was helping to clear the fallen White Pieces out of the courtyard. They would be buried, heroes to their cause. Kairi hadn't said a word to her since she'd healed her. What was there to say? Maybe later, when all this settled down. Caelix was still comatose and chained up. She wasn't going anywhere. Alice had told Kairi to rest a little. Having used so much of her light would leave her dizzy for awhile. Kairi didn't argue with that reasoning, but she still wanted to help out.

"Perhaps you could take a few Pawns and explore the castle?" Alice suggested. "I wonder if there's anything here that could help us figure out how to rejoin Caelix and myself."

And so, Kairi found herself wandering the Red Palace's expansive halls. Not a soul remained, and the perpetual moon was the only light source through sky-high glass windows. Eerie, but oddly beautiful. Darkness is beautiful. Maybe that was why Riku was so enamored of it.

"_No, I won't let you use me for this!"_

The last time she'd seen Riku, he was holding back the darkness inside him to save her. Ansem had tried to use his body to kill Kairi, but Riku fought for control and foiled his plans. It all happened so fast and Riku was gone before she could do anything, but that moment had stayed with Kairi all this time while she waited for him to return. It also gave her hope that Riku was okay. He could conquer his darkness no matter what, just as he'd conquered it to save her.

The Red Palace's halls were long and dark, and no heat reached this place. Kairi shivered and rubbed her bare arms. She made a note to pick up something for the cold in case they she and Lightning travelled somewhere colder than this. The Pawns were checking rooms, each delving into his or her own search, so Kairi was undisturbed as she meandered the great keep. Movement in the shadows up ahead caught her eye, and she instinctively summoned her keyblade.

"Who's there?" she called, squinting through the darkness.

More movement, an arm reaching for her. Kairi gasped. Someone was here, and she didn't think they were a Heartless. Advancing, she tried to catch up to the figure, but it disappeared around a corner.

"Wait!"

Kairi broke into a run, ignoring the ache in her limbs, and rounded the corner. Dark, red tapestries lined the walls, and moonbeams made them glow. She put a hand on the wall, catching her breath. The figure, dressed in black and hooded, slowed to a halt at the end of the hallway before a door. It turned to look back at her, and Kairi immediately thought of Luxord. This person was dressed in a similar getup. Anger fueled her forward.

"Who are you?" she demanded, gripping her keyblade with both hands and preparing for a confrontation, should it come to that.

The hooded figure said nothing as it disappeared through the door, leaving it open like a silent invitation. Kairi paused before the door, wondering if this was a trap. Luxord was obviously the type to play cruel games, and caution was in order. Then again, this person was running from her, leading her. It didn't make sense.

Cautious, she pulled the door open enough to step through. The room was small for what she imagined a castle to possess. Bookshelves lined three of the four walls, bursting to capacity. A wide oaken desk sat at the back of the room, covered in papers. More papers littered the floor, like a tornado had passed through here. The leftmost wall had glass cases filled with strange objects, but Kairi was more concerned with the hooded figure that had somehow vanished.

Looking around, there didn't appear to be another exit. Puzzled, she approached the desk and perused some of the papers strewn across it. Most were written in languages she couldn't read. Caelix didn't strike Kairi as the type to pursue scholarly ambitions, and this didn't add up.

"Kairi."

That voice made Kairi spin around. Her sword hand trembled, and she looked around, searching. Whatever pain she'd been ignoring washed away with a surge of adrenaline and hope.

"Riku?" she breathed.

No one answered and no one was here, so she went to the door and looked down the hall again. Still nothing. But she could have sworn she'd heard his voice whispering to her. She'd even felt the ghost of warm breath against the shell of her ear, so close. The adrenaline faded and a familiar empty despair took its place. Riku wasn't here, and she was still waiting for shadows.

A light _thud _resounded from one of the nearby bookshelves, and Kairi noticed a book had fallen loose and landed on the floor. Suspicious, she approached and knelt down to leaf through it. Something fell from between the pages, and she picked up a torn page. The moonlight was meager, but it was enough to read by.

_DiZ Report_, it read.

Curious, Kairi approached the window above the glass cases housing strange artifacts to get better lighting. She began to read.

_The so-called "Organization XIII" continues to lose members. All those in Castle Oblivion have been eliminated, but they're small fries. I am more troubled by the remaining members, none of whom have shown their faces here. My traitor apprentices... I should have known they would betray me, but I never dreamed it would come to this. No matter what action I take, they seem to be one step ahead of me..._

_It is no matter. Naminé is now in my possession, and I plan to use her for every drop of witchery she has. She says it will take time, but I cannot possibly trust someone who does not even understand such a human emotion to begin with. She'll serve her purpose, and then I'll discard her, as planned. So long as I have Riku working with me, I'm sure we will be victorious. And then where will you be, Xehanort? _

Kairi reread the note, incredulous. Riku's name was here, and Naminé's, too. Did this mean they were okay? There was no date, and Kairi had no idea what DiZ was, or who. And this Organization XIII was just as mysterious. Kairi could not begin to understand any of this, but she had a feeling it was all connected. Riku, Naminé, Luxord, Caelix... Like puzzle pieces, it would take time to fit them all together, and Kairi could not see the big picture right now.

At the very least, she had to have hope that Riku and Naminé were safe. The problem was figuring out for how long they would remain that way.

"I hate this," Kairi said. "Not knowing. I hate it."

All Kairi could do now was continue her journey, fighting to save a boy she couldn't remember.

"_I'll come back to you, I promise!"_

The voice was an echo in her head, an old song whose words she still knew even after years of neglect. She couldn't place the voice, but she knew he was talking to her. The memory had come to her on a whim for no reason at all, and she couldn't tell why it had eluded her until this point. This boy she was searching for... Maybe he hadn't left off dreaming about her, after all.

Kairi pocketed the torn parchment to show Merlin later. Maybe he would be able to shed some light on the mysteries it contained. She was about to leave when a bright glint caught her eye. The glass case contained an array of exotic objects, some colorful and others unlike anything Kairi had ever seen in her life. A collection of some sort, clearly, although Kairi wasn't sure what connected them all.

One of the objects, the one that had caught her eye, was a small mirror no bigger than her two hands. Curious, she unlatched the top of the case and retrieved the mirror. It was round and encased in silver. Black and white diamonds encrusted its border. This object was valuable, and yet it was here collecting dust.

Moonlight reflected off its surface, blinding instantaneous before fading to darkness again. A strange mirror, so different from the other knick knacks in the collection. Kairi touched its surface with a finger, and gasped when it rippled, like water.

"What the—"

The ripples intensified and swirled together to form a vortex. Mesmerized, Kairi could not look away. The looking glass pulled her heart into darkness, and she tumbled down and down even though she could still feel her physical form standing in the dark study.

Wind threatened to rip her apart, like so many hands clawing for attention. Kairi squeezed her eyes shut and wished for it all to stop.

It stopped.

The ground beneath her feet gave a little, soft. A gentle swishing sound drew her attention. Waves. Kairi's vision cleared and she found herself on a dark shore. A black sun shone on the water's surface, illuminated night. Strange rock formations stretched in the near distance, like falling liquid frozen in time. They undulated in rhythm with the waves lapping at her feet against dark sand.

"Who are you?"

Kairi whirled, her keyblade materializing without a second thought. A young woman stood a few feet away, surprise lighting up her blue eyes as she took in Kairi's appearance. Kairi peered at the stranger. Her deep, blue eyes and matching hair were almost familiar, the way ghosts are familiar when they whisper from the shadows. The woman's sleeves fluttered in a wind Kairi couldn't feel.

"That keyblade..." the woman said, taking a step toward Kairi.

Kairi held out her blade, suspicious. "Stop. I know how to use this."

The woman blinked, her expression unreadable. "It's been a long time since I've seen anyone on these shores, much less a Keyblade Master."

"I..." Kairi lowered her blade a little. "I'm no master."

"Who are you?" the woman repeated her original question.

Something about her was so familiar, but Kairi couldn't place her. Unarmed, she didn't seem like much of a threat.

"I'm Kairi."

The woman's mouth dropped and she covered it with a hand. "Kairi..."

"Do I know you?" Kairi asked, lowering her keyblade to her hip.

"Oh my god," the woman said. "Of course. I thought I recognized you, but it's been so long."

"...Who are you?" Kairi repeated the woman's own question.

"I'm Aqua." She approached Kairi slowly, her blue eyes glistening with unshed tears. "We've met before, many years ago."

Kairi gasped. Her mind's eye flew to bright colors, blooming flowers and shadowy creatures that threatened to take away all the color. And a girl, fearless and so strong, swooping in to protect her, no questions asked. Kairi remembered wishing more than anything that she could be like her.

"Aqua," Kairi said, breathless. "I remember..."

"That keyblade. When you touched my keyblade, you must've... Oh god."

Kairi lifted her keyblade to take a look at it. Even in this gloom, its colors still glowed, like true flowers basking in the sunlight.

"You performed a Keyblade Inheritance Ceremony," Aqua continued. "That's why it chose you. I had no idea."

"Aqua," Kairi said, stepping closer so they were only a couple feet apart. "You saved me back then. But what're you doing here? What is this place?"

Aqua smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. "This is the Realm of Darkness. I came here after... Well, it's not important. I'm just so happy to see you're okay."

The Realm of Darkness? But how had she gotten here? "I was just in Looking Glass when I saw a strange mirror," Kairi said, trailing off.

Could the mirror have been a gateway between worlds? She could feel that she wasn't all here, that her body was still in that study in the Red Palace.

"Kairi, that keyblade," Aqua said, disturbing her from her thoughts. "Do you know what it does?"

Kairi examined her weapon. "I know it's saved my life more than once now."

Aqua put a hand on the flower crown, and it glowed faintly under her touch. "This is the Destiny's Embrace," she explained. "Its power is to restore people's fates to the right path, so they don't go astray."

"Restore fate? I don't understand."

"Our worlds are in constant upheaval. The battle between darkness and light has been waging for eons. Each has the capacity to alter destiny, one way or the other. Some people become blinded by light, and others fall into darkness," Aqua explained. "But this keyblade restores hearts to their original state, even fractured hearts."

_Fractured hearts..._

"Do you..." Kairi's mind raced with the implications. "Do you think it could restore a heart's true power? Like, if someone had lost her heart before, and that power was living separately from her."

Aqua frowned. "I'm not sure exactly what you mean, but I think so. This keyblade has the power to reset fate. Your heart is pure, so it makes sense that it would choose you."

Then that was it, all along. Kairi could restore Alice's heart to its original destiny by merging her with Caelix's body and soul. Kairi smiled a littled, a new hope surging through her. This was possible, and she could do it. _She could do it._

"I think I know what to do now," Kairi said, meeting Aqua's gaze.

Aqua returned the smile, but it was hollow. Kairi took her hand.

"Come on. Let's get out of this place."

Aqua broke the contact. "I...can't."

"What do you mean? Why not?"

Silence stretched, and the only sound that reached Kairi was that of the waves rushing the shore, so much like the Destiny Islands that she felt a little sad with nostalgia. The Realm of Darkness was a beautiful lie.

"A long time ago, I chose to come here to protect someone I love very much. I took his place so he could be saved." Aqua flashed her a bright smile, but Kairi could see the tears glistening in Aqua's eyes, refusing to fall. "It's all right. I'm happy to wait."

A wave of sadness washed over Kairi, like she'd heard this story before. Like she'd lived it before. Tears threatened to fall, but she fought them off. "Aqua..."

"You're fighting, right? You've got something important to finish. Otherwise, you wouldn't have Destiny's Embrace with you. So go, finish your quest."

Kairi dismissed her keyblade and took Aqua's hands in hers, her eyes hard. "I won't leave you here. You saved me once..."

_Twice._

Kairi shook her head. "I can't just leave you here all alone!"

Aqua freed one of her hands and touched Kairi's necklace, the same one she'd blessed so many years ago. "I knew it was fate that led me to you."

Something tugged Kairi backwards, and she realized that Aqua was sending her away, back through the looking glass. This time, Kairi couldn't stop her tears and she reached for Aqua.

"I'll get you out of here somehow! I promise!"

Aqua smiled through her own tears. "I know you will."

"Aqua!"

Kairi fell to her knees and cried out in pain. She was back in the Red Palace's study, and the Realm of Darkness was behind her. But her tears fell freely, hot and sticky against her cheeks. She wiped them away with the back of her hand and pulled herself up. Summoning her keyblade—_Destiny's Embrace_—Kairi forced her breathing to even out.

"Thank you, Aqua."

The looking glass she'd used to peer into the Realm of Darkness was cracked on the floor, but Kairi pocketed it before heading back to the group. Even broken, it was the only connection she had to Aqua.

* * *

The surviving Red Pieces were in chains and ready for transport back to the White Palace. Alice had given them a choice to renounce their old allegiance to Caelix and join her royal guard. They had until arriving back at the White Palace to decide, and from the looks of it Lightning was sure most, if not all, would end up choosing Alice in the end. Whatever worked, she supposed, but Lightning was less inclined to take chances with shaky loyalties. Still, this wasn't her world or her war.

Kairi had been gone for awhile, but when she returned she looked like she'd fought another war all on her own. The White Army was gathered in a sunlit square just outside the Red Palace when Kairi rejoined them. Lightning hadn't spoken to her at all since the girl had healed her fatal wounds. There had been no time, and now it just felt a little awkward.

But Kairi did not seem preoccupied with what had transpired between them. "Lightning, I figured it out. How to restore Caelix to Alice."

"Oh, that's great," Lightning said, surprised. "That means we can get out of here, then."

Kairi nodded. "Yeah. I just need to talk to Alice first. Come on."

Lightning found herself following the younger girl, almost in a trance. Was that it? Were they just going to ignore what had happened? Maybe it was for the best. Lightning had never been a big talker and the idea of sharing "feelings" made her more than a little sick to her stomach. Then why did this feel off?

Kairi was explaining something to Alice about destiny and the keyblade and joining souls and hearts. White noise, as far as Lightning was concerned.

"So you think this will work?" Alice asked, shy.

"Yeah," Kairi said, her gaze distant. "I know for a fact it will."

"You seem pretty confident about that, kid," Lightning said. "Something happen?"

Kairi met Lightning's gaze for the first time since she'd healed her. "I'm confident."

Lightning narrowed her eyes, suspicious, but Kairi continued explaining the process to Alice.

"We can do it as soon as we get back to the White Palace, if that's okay with you," Kairi said.

"Yes, perfect. Maybe Caelix will be awake by then, too, and I can speak with her."

In a matter of hours, the group set off retracing their steps back to the White Palace. Alice had lost over half her forces in the battle, but they had won in the end. Perhaps it would be enough. Eventually, when they broke for the night to rest, Lightning approached Kairi, whom she found staring at a cracked mirror, her eyes faraway.

"You should get that fixed," Lightning said, taking a seat next to Kairi. They were camping in a dark square, and a fire blazed before them for warmth and light.

"Yeah," Kairi said. "Maybe Merlin can do something about it."

Lightning frowned. "It's not that big of a deal. You could just buy a new one."

Kairi clutched the mirror to her chest. "No, this one's fine."

An uncomfortable silence stretched between the two women, one that Lightning felt and Kairi wasn't breaking. She was no good at this, and she hated it. The only thing to do was to get it over with the only way she knew how.

"Listen, Kairi," Lightning began, leaning her elbows on her knees and gazing at the flickering campfire. "I'm no good at this kind of thing, so I'll say this once and only once."

Kairi was silent, but Lightning could feel her eyes on her. Lightning rubbed her eyes and sighed. "Thanks...for saving my life back there. I should've died."

"...You're welcome," Kairi said. "But it was really Alice who's to thank. She gave me the Cure spell."

Lightning shook her head. "No, Alice wasn't there in the shit with me. You were. And... And I want to pay you back."

"You don't have to pay me back. That's what partners are for—" She cut herself off. "I mean, not partners, of course, just, you know, we're fighting on the same side, so..."

Kairi had made things even more uncomfortable, and Lightning itched to get up and walk away. She really regretted saying that now. "No, we... I mean, we are partners, you and me." Lightning pulled one knee up to her chest, frowning. "We're in this together, like you said. That...makes us partners, I guess."

She wasn't looking at Kairi, but the younger girl accidently smiled a true smile for the first time in weeks. "Lightning..."

"_Why 'Lightning?' What's it mean to you?"_

Lightning finally turned to face Kairi. "But if you're going to be my partner, you have to know how to fight properly or we'll both end up dead. So from now on, I'll train you."

Kairi stared at her for a moment, shocked. "...You'd do that?"

Lightning frowned. "Obviously this isn't going to be an easy quest. I... I almost died today, and if it weren't for you... Anyway, the stronger you are the better chance we'll have, and the sooner we can save Serah. I'm not asking."

Kairi threw her arms around Lightning in a sudden hug, which the older woman had not been expecting. There was no one around to see them, no enemies. It was just the two of them, in darkness, with only each other in all the worlds. Lightning resisted the urge to sigh, but she didn't push Kairi away.

"Thank you, Lightning," Kairi said, her voice muffled against Lightning's shoulder.

Lightning put a hand on Kairi's back. "Don't sweat it, kid."

Kairi released her and smiled.

"Get some sleep. I'd say you've earned it by now," Lightning said.

Kairi nodded. "Are you staying up?"

"Yeah."

"Okay, goodnight."

Lightning watched her go and settle in for the night, thoughtful. Maybe this was all a lie and Kairi was chasing fireflies. Maybe nothing would come of it, and it would all be for naught.

"_If you work hard enough, you can make it true."_

She hadn't been able to get Hope's words out of her head all day. And every time she looked at Kairi...

"Night, kid," Lightning whispered to herself.

Maybe there was a chance for them, yet.

* * *

"Fuck you," Caelix spat. "I'm not going anywhere."

Alice ignored the language. "I'm afraid you've got no choice. You and I are one."

"As if I'm one with the likes of _you_. You couldn't even get me here on your own! Pathetic."

"Don't listen to her," Lightning said. "She's just a sore loser with no other avenue but to piss us off. What a sad predicament."

Caelix fixed Lightning with a poisonous look that made Kairi want to look away. There was so much anger there, so much hatred. How had it come to this?

They were back at the White Palace in an outdoor courtyard enjoying the warm sunlight. Caelix was chained to a wall, her red gown in tatters. All around, flowers bloomed bright and happy. There was little to be happy about, however, as far as Kairi was concerned.

"That's rich. I hope you're all happy. Not like a lifeless shell like me deserves to live anyway, right? I don't even have a heart. I'm just...empty."

Kairi watched the Nobody, troubled. Caelix was the enemy, true, but the way she was so defeated like this, so bitter... It wasn't right.

But what could she do?

"You're not empty," Alice said, touching a hand to where Caelix's heart would have been if she had one. "You've got me."

Caelix spat in Alice's face, and Bishop smacked her hard in the jaw with the hilt of his sword. Red spittle dripped from Caelix's lips, and her jaw hung at an unnatural angle, broken.

"Bishop!" Alice cried, wiping the saliva off her cheek with a sleeve.

"How dare you speak to Her Majesty in such a manner. You're not even real, you worthless trash. Barely even a shadow."

Caelix could no longer speak with her jaw broken, so she settled for a nasty glare. Kairi found no words to remedy the situation, but she felt like she'd been the one to slap Caelix in her complacent silence. Lightning's hand on her shoulder brought her back to reality, and she pushed the feeling away.

"All right," Kairi said. "I'll merge you with Caelix and you'll be whole again, Alice."

Alice nodded, her expression unreadable, and she took her place across from Caelix. Kairi moved to stand behind Caelix and summoned Destiny's Embrace. Taking a deep breath, she thought of Aqua all alone on the shores of the Realm of Darkness.

_I _will _save you. And him._

With this thought in mind, Kairi plunged her keyblade through Caelix's chest and into Alice's heart beyond. Caelix let out an inhuman scream, and Alice trembled in place. White veins of light snaked all over Caelix's body, scorching and dripping light. Her eyes rolled back in her head until they, too, were overcome by light. Blinding, it consumed her in flameless conflagration and fell upon the Destiny's Embrace. Kairi gripped the keyblade with both hands and turned it, locking Alice's heart in the process. The light pooled into Alice, sealed away along with Caelix's screams until there was nothing.

"Your Majesty!"

Alice nearly fell over, but a Knight caught her at the last minute. Her blonde hair fell about her pretty face, a bit frazzled. She gripped her heart with a hand and breathed deeply.

"Alice?" Kairi asked, tightening her grip on the keyblade in case something had gone wrong.

Alice blinked and met Kairi's gaze, blue on blue. She smiled, breathing heavily. "I'm okay," she said. "I'm me again."

Alice's Pieces rejoiced, and the first Pawn Kairi had met took her hand. "Princess Kairi! You saved us all!"

Alice laughed and hugged her Pieces, finally whole again and comfortable in the knowledge that they'd found peace. Looking Glass was safe once more.

"I hate to interrupt, but it's time to get what we came for," Lightning said.

Alice got her Pieces to calm down and faced Kairi. "You're absolutely right. I can't thank you enough, so the least I can do is give you the power you came here to retrieve."

Alice touched the flower crown on Kairi's keyblade, and Kairi felt a surge of energy. Alice's aura glowed blue and bright, illuminating the Destiny's Embrace and mingling with Kairi's own power. It was over in seconds, but Kairi could feel the effects. She felt stronger.

"That should do it," Alice said.

"Thanks, Alice," Kairi said, dismissing her weapon.

Alice shook her head. "It's me who should be thanking you. I think I can fix this place now, restore the original Wonderland to what it was. I can hardly believe it, but I miss the place."

Kairi's eyes softened. "I'm sure you can."

Kairi and Lightning stayed the night and departed in the morning, early. Rested and healed (and now equipped with sturdy chain mail over her regular clothing), Kairi summoned a light corridor to take Lightning and her to the next world.

Alice saw them off with her White King, a young man with kind eyes that saw only Alice. Kairi could almost feel their love just looking at them. It made her happy to see such beauty, especially for such a dear friend as Alice, but there was a part of her that felt empty at the sight, like there was something missing.

"_I'll come back to you, I promise!"_

"Ready to go, kid?" Lightning asked.

Kairi turned to Lightning, who was waiting for her at the entrance to the light vortex. In many ways, their journey was only just beginning. Kairi still couldn't remember the boy for whom she risked her life, but that didn't bother her anymore.

He'd promised to come back to her, and that was good enough for her.

"Yeah," Kairi said. "Let's go."

Alice waved them off, and the partners stepped into the light. Together.

* * *

_For clarity, Kairi's memories of Sora specifically are missing, but her memories of everything else are still intact. For example, she remembers the worlds she saw when her heart was in Sora's body and all the people she met, but she can't make the connection to Sora. _

_This fic isn't going to have a lot of chapters, but the chapters will be long (maybe longer than this one). Lots of development ahead, so I hope you'll stick with this. It will end in a very different place than it began as far as Kairi's character is concerned. Thanks so much for reading!_


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